When should tweens be able to try tampons???

DD (12) has just started her first period, on the last day of school, and just before 6 wks holiday... we have a pool!!!!

I really dont like the idea of tampons early... I have heard they shouldnt be used till the hymen is broken??
Is this right?
Makes sense I guess, and she is a very slim build...

But I'd hate to see her miss a week at a time, twice, in the holidays... she's also going to the beach, but it should be in between periods I hope.

I told her today she cant hop in the pool, and she said can she talk to me later?.. so I think shes been talking at school and maybe going to ask for them.... :doh:

I really dont think shes ready, but i guess I dont really know why??

Thoughts ladies???

I wasn't given tampons until I'd had my period for 2 or 3 years, but I was 10 when I first got it. TBH, I never got over the embarrassment of inserting them, and I don't use them at all. Perhaps the sooner she starts the more comfortable she'll be?

Or she could try a cup?

ooops, just posted in your other thread. Check out the tampon/pads manufacturers websites, it'll have info on there to help you :)

Her hymen might be broken already, especially if she does a fair bit of physical activity. If she's keen to try I would suggest going to a chemist and finding the absolute smallest ones and asking for some advice to pass on to you DD. Or better still, take her with you.

She might not be regular for a while though, so I wouldn't assume she'll get her period twice in the holidays. And it might not last for a whole week just yet.

I don't think there's anything wrong with starting them...it's not a sexual thing you know? But it's a totally individual choice. I started them with the tampax inserty ones, made life much easier.

Of course!!! :doh:
Thanks Jodi.. :)
I had mine for a few years too before using them... I just dont know if I would feel comfortable with her *inserting* things just yet.... plus the added health risk of her forgetting... :doh: She is a darling, but a little absentminded!!! :rolleyes:

I used them from my first period (I was 12). My mum explained to me how to use them properly (pushing them in far enough and changing them regularly to stop blood infections) and I had no problems.

Probably TMI but my hymen stayed in tact through 5 years of tampon use. I assumed it had broken but it was quite a shock when it did break ... but we won't go there :)

Mine broke through dance classes..... She danced years ago, and has played touch footy and basketball since then, so might be fair to say it has??

So it seems quite normal to start straight away? I guess it was different when I was young, it was for the "older" girls then!!

I'm toooooo old!!!!

I don't remember my Hymen breaking (should i?) but I tried them as soon as I got AF when I was 13 and they just didn't really happen... I didn't get the gist til after DTD. (which I'm sure you don't want her to do yet XD)

Would she have to miss out on the beach or pool? Especially if the pool is at home. I mean she might only have to miss one or two days... I hate tampons and never use them and will swim when my flow is lightish. I don't see the big deal, it's only blood. Periods aren't dirty :)

I started tampons straight away because i was an active kid; dancing, swimming, running and footy, pads would have been a disaster! The tampax ones were quite thin from memory, and i used the applicator for a good year or so before going to normal ones...then i needed super ones :(

I used them for similar reasons to you PZ. I am also a very private person IRL so I would rather use tampons than have to have told any of my teachers (especially when it came to swimming) that I couldn't participate. Also, I hated missing out with my friends and we live in North Queensland so we used to swim everyday for almost 6 months of the year.

I would provide her with the options available too her and let her decide what to use and when she is ready... my step mother tried to get me to use tampons straight away which I wasn't happy with or comfortable with and it took me YEARS to finally gain the courage to use them, with a pad I always had the uncomfortable feeling that you could tell I was wearing them.

I didnt get mine till I was 15 or 16 and I started with pads and then used Tampax when I felt the need too (if I didnt want to get off of PE LOL was best excuse!!)
Tampx were easier and didnt have ICK factor as no blood on fingers and putting it there IYKWIM at younger age.

I used tampons pretty much straight away because I was always really paranoid about the pads and they are so uncomfortable.
I'd say that they're ready whenever they want to use them.
They're not likely to break the hymen and if they do is it really a big deal? Hymens seem to break in lots of ways.

I used them straight away also..

a tip fpr your dd.. to help them slide in nicely.. try slight coating the outer with a tiny amount of vaseline.. yes it kind of makes it less absorbant and means more changing but initially it helped me learn how its meant to slide up...

I remember using the vaseline but maybe KY/lube might be better.

I used tampons at 12 too when I got mine.... I had too because one day we went for a big family trek at a national park and I got them half way through the walk. Because they won't be regular she won't know when they are coming..... Maybe it would be easier especially if she is active and it certainly makes you feel like no one can tell as opposed to a bulky pad....

I used pads for the first month, hated them, came home form school after whinging to mum about how revolting pads were and found a packet of carefree tampons on my bed! lol

Never looked back.
Only time I used pads was overnight or when I m/c...

Personally, not sure I understand the issue with her inserting tampons? As Jen said, her hymen may not be intact now, and using tampons doesn't make you any more 'impure' than not using them...
WRT to risk, it will leak before she is at risk, one leakage and I promise she won't forget again in a hurry ;)

Make sure you sit down with her and go through the info in the pack, also probably a good idea to teach her how to retrieve it if she loses the string, the health risks etc and how to maintain cleanliness before and after inserting them.
Now is probably an excellent time for her to sit down with a mirror and have a look at herself, see where everything is and use it to practice inserting them. Gotta know the mechanics so she knows when they are in properly etc.

Start with the smallest size for her flow and I am sure she will be fine. :hug:

Ace post by LS.

I was going to say rather than the vaseline you could spend a little extra and get the silk-ease carefree's - they do work and are much smoother to insert - IMO. Otherwise the applicators sound like a great idea.

FWIW i didn't break my hymen with tampons and not even the first time i DTD. Not entirely sure how that happened but it was 5 or 6 times before it broke LOL.

Also - with swimming and the beach etc - my yr 9&10 PE teacher always says it stop when you are in the water. I do believe this. She could use pads and have some wet wipes (baby wipes etc) handy to clean herself before hand and jump straight in the pool soon after.Might not work with heavy flow but it had worked for me in the past.

The other bonus for tampons being if she gets bad pain the water will be very helpful - like labour :)

I got my first AF the day before my 13th birthday... I wasn't regular (still not!), but it lasted for two weeks!

I first started using tampons at around 15-16. I found pads smelly and icky and gross... I always felt that I kind of walked funny when wearing a pad, that everyone could see it, smell it and (excuse the TMI) to this day I still find that my menstrual blood sticks to me and doesn't absorb into the pad. Think lots of clots from day one.

When I first started, my hymen wasn't broken. Getting it in wasn't the problem - getting it OUT was! Eventually got over that trauma, and continued using them with no issues, it was just that first one.

If she's intent on using tampons, I'd definitely go with the tampax. They are much easier to get in, and certainly remove a lot of the ick factor. If she's desperate to swim, then it's probably best to let her try - she may find she doesn't like them and would be happier sitting out of the pool. A friend of mine went straight to tampax when she got her first period (I was always jealous!) and she had no problems. If she needs a bit of lube (definitely go the KY over the vaseline!) then with tampax it will go on the applicator and not the tampon itself (mostly) so it should have less impact on the absorbency.

BW

BW

My daughter got her AF a few weeks before starting high school this year. She started using tampons a day or 2 later. She is a tiny but tall girl and she is very active. It made sense for me to let her use tampons as I remember the hatred I had toward pads when I was at school - they were messy, uncomfortable and like BW, I worried about the smell.

DD uses mini tampons and she uses pads at night. For the first few days I was asking her as often as possible if she needed to change her tampon, but it was never an issue. I think DD found being more grown up a good thing and she has been fantastic with her period. DD also only uses tampons for through the day and uses pads at night. She is only just now getting her period on a monthly basis where as before they were coming every 2 months or so.
We have found talking to her about everything has helped so much. There is definitely no embarressment involved, unlike when I got my period! She tells DH when she needs supplies and he buys them for her.

I always found that tampax hurt and stuck in me, the applicators that is, there are other brands out there with applicators. I think "U Platinum" and also Cottons have applicators.

I tried the tampax ones once ... horrid!! They are about a metre long and it is soo much easier for me to just put it in, the applicator made things more difficult.
Just another thought :)

If you do get her some, get some KY gel to go with them. Makes it so much easier!

Great posts from lots of ladies so far!! My two cents:
Buy some, give her the option of whether she wants to use them or not. I was a bit of a 'late bloomer' in that I didn't start menstruating until I was 14, all my friends had had their periods for years and while I'd heard them talking about it, it was still a bit of a mystery to me. I had an incident during my second AF, where my flow was so heavy I leaked right through the pad and had a massive amount of blood right through my undies AND my cargo pants and it was only when a friend of mum's spotted it that we realised - we'd been walking around Big W for half an hour already and no doubt a lot of people had noticed. My period didn't always get so heavy, but that incident (and the lengthy wait in the change rooms while mum went to buy me a new pair of shorts and undies to change into) really put me off using pads, not to mention them being really uncomfortable and I was convinced that everyone could 'see' them through my pants - I was terrified of wearing pads in public.
Mum bought me tampons to use after that, although she'd never used them in her life (she wasn't comfortable with body parts, let alone 'sticking something up there'), and I never needed lubricants or applicators or anything like that - the instructions included inside the box are pretty clear (diagrams and all!) and while it was a bit gross the first time I inserted one, I just kept remembering the mantra 'if you can feel it, it's not in properly' and very quickly got the hang of it all by myself. I now wear tampons during the day and pads at night, I have been a bit slack about changing them in the past but as a PP mentioned, one leakage will soon put paid to forgetfulness!
Maybe buy a pack of panty liners as well to use in combination with the tampons if your DD chooses to, it will help prevent any problems with leakage (as she may need to adjust brands/sizes according to her flow) and worries about odours etc (this is also a big thing with me, I also don't like using pads as AF can smell quite strong and tampons help reduce that).

I don't think there's such a thing as 'too young' to use tampons - AF is pretty gross whether you're 10 or 14 and kids these days are not as 'innocent' as we were at the same age :( If she wants to use tampons so she can go swimming and carry on with 'life as normal' (it's sooo embarrassing explaining to teachers/friends that you can't do x activity because of AF), I would definitely say just buy her some and give her a few tips.

Good luck to you both :) Congrats to your DD on becoming a young lady, I'm sure you've given her the right preparation for this special event and I hope she makes the adjustment easily!


PS - I second the PP who suggested the silk-ease cover tampons, I personally find they slide in that little bit easier and the flared cover does help catch those sneaky little drips that can sometimes get past before the tampon swells (sorry for the TMI!). I often pop one in while I'm having a shower in the morning to help get that extra bit beneath it to wash out before I put clean undies on, itms? Good luck :)

DH just wanted to add that he has been wearing tampons now for years, and he still can't ride a horse, go swimming or play tennis...

:spit::rofl:

My DH asked if he can at least wear white?

Oh yes, and he can sit on his boyfriend's lap without concern ;)

I agree that I dont think the age thing is really a problems - its more what she feels comfortable with.

I got my period when I was 11 and I remember my mum buying me pads for month, I was very lucky and was regular as clockwork. I remember being in the shops wiht her about a year after I got my period and asking her about tampons, I remember her saying that they were for bigger girls once you've had your period for a while.

I always hated using pads, the smell, the fear of people being able to see them through my pants and the gross feeling in summer. I remember getting a little period pack with a Dolly magazine when I was 13 and trying to use it and I couldnt get it to go 'all the way in'. I could never use tampons until I lost my virginity and things were a little 'looser' down there.

I started using them for my second period casue i couldnt stand using pads. i remember being so self concious when i was wereing a pad when i was younger. I thinki was 13. They make the SO skinny these days. My sister is 14 and she has tried them but wasnt very keen, she is happy to use a pad.

I think it depends on your DD, if she is asking to try them and seems ok with it then id find her some good ones and see how she goes. good luck.

Thank you so much ladies!!!!!!:grouphug:

Amy, I was told the same thing, you cant use them till your older, and I guess it stuck!

I have no problem as such about her hymen, just the pain factor if she happens to have a painful break, and it turns her off tampons early. Or the inserting/sexual thing, its more shes a bit clumsy, and Im not sure I could trust her to insert it properly, and have it not work/fall out or something!!! :o She is a gorgeous kid, but a bit on the dopier side!!

Were off shopping today, so ill ask her if she want to try.. I tried the ones with the insertion thing and I HATED them.. so if she wants some ill get some lube, and ill get the silky ones....

Ad just grabs me the cheapest ones... :p ...but ill get her some samll ones to start, from a good brand... I wasnt using them till after I had had sex, but I was quite young.. .... thankyou ladies, I thought I was a hip young happenin thing, but I guess not!!! :ROFL:

Haven't read all the replies yet, but I got AF at 11 & started using tampons on my second or third period... around 12. We were going on school camp at the beach & I got it the night before :doh: Mum was kind enough to demonstrate for me :) I hate pads & never looked back. If she's active etc they really do make life easier, especially during summer. I never thought they affected the hymen at all?
DD started using them around the same age, but she still doesn't mind using pads, I think she prefers them to tampons.

ETA - just read a few more posts :p Good luck today! FWIW I have no idea when my hymen broke, she might not ever feel it? Great advice from everyone else , the only thing I will add is mum told me to start out with one leg up on the toilet seat (standing) as it seemed to make it a bit easier then sitting? ITMS.

My education about my period started and ended with a pad being thrown at me on the day it started.

No tampons were allowed. (Yes, I think this was a bit harsh)

Those 'U' brand ones are really slim and small...maybe give them a go?

Re Hymen - I have NO idea when mine broke as I didn't feel it, but was also very sporty and a dancer. Pretty sure it was already gone when I lost my virginity becuase there was no pain or blood involved.

At 11/12 I was terrified of using a tampon - but this was probably a result of poor education, as I said. I reckon give them to her....if she doesn't like them, she won't use them!

tampax applicator tampons were the best. i got my period at 13 and i hated pads they felt like a loaf of bread in your knickers!!!

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tampax applicator tampons were the best. i got my period at 13 and i hated pads they felt like a loaf of bread in your knickers!!!

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:rofl: agree!!!

You've got some great advice so far. I got my period at 12 and used pads for the first month then I 'practiced' inserting tampons with vaseline so I was ready for my next period. Lube would be a much better option though. I remember being so excited that I'd put one in successfully and I proudly announced it to the family! PMSL :lol:

My flow was really light for the first three or four cycles so I used mini tampons but then things really kicked in and my periods became really heavy so I ended up having to use super tampons. I found Carefree the 'nicest' brand back then.

I used pads with wings at nights from day dot and still do. I felt safer with wings than without as I was so worried about leaking! Maybe offer them to your DD too. My mum didn't know they existed, a friend gave me one of hers early on and I really felt 'good' wearing them, ITMS!

I used them from the start too. I got a free pack of applicator ones, but found them really weird, and then just moved on to the regular ones. Never looked back.

Until I discovered cloth pads.